By Peter Ives.

Now Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah and the Lord showed Moses the Promised Land on the other side of the Jordan River. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Send out scouts to see what is up ahead of you. Send out scouts to see the obstacles and the barriers that you will have to face when you cross over.” And Moses sent out scouts to investigate. And they saw for themselves what was up ahead. And when they returned they brought back two reports to Moses: a majority and a minority report.

The majority report emphasized the enormity of the obstacles. The obstacles on the other side were enormous. “We can’t do it,” the scouts concluded. “We don’t have the strength. We don’t have the resources. The barriers up ahead make us feel small. The challenges are so great they make us feel small like grasshoppers.” But then Caleb stepped forward to deliver the minority report.

He too mentioned the problems up ahead. He noted that it would be extremely difficult to overcome the huge obstacles before them. He noted that going forward into the future would not be easy. He said that if they were to do it they would have to make a huge leap of faith without really knowing for sure where they would land.

He too mentioned the problems up ahead. He noted that it would be extremely difficult to overcome the huge obstacles before them. He noted that going forward into the future would not be easy. He said that if they were to do it they would have to make a huge leap of faith without really knowing for sure where they would land.

But then Caleb said to them, “We can do it, yes we can! Not by ourselves, not by our power alone. No. But we can do it because our God is able. Our God is able to fill every valley and bring low every mountain, able to make straight the crooked path, and the rough ways to make smooth, able to make a roadway into the future for us. Our God is able, able to make a way even where there seems to be no way; our God is able to make a way. With God at our side we will be able too. We shall overcome.

”Pastor Andrea has been like our Caleb these past 12 years. With every step she has shown you the way to go forward. Together, under her remarkable leadership, you have had to face challenges that were big ones. You had to work together in ways that put enormous responsibilities upon your shoulders. Together, you had to figure out how to do things that you didn’t have to do before. You found yourself on your own, making decisions that were new and unfamiliar. But all along you have been the body of Christ with every member of the body working together for the good of the whole. And all along, like Caleb, you kept saying to each other, “Yes we can! Yes we can.” Yes we can assume the full responsibilities for this dynamic, progressive and fully inclusive ministry Pastor Andrea has called us to do.

And you did it. You did it with great love and compassion. You did it with great sensitivity to the needs of others. You took the leap of faith with enormous courage. And you did it in the spirit of Caleb that with God at your side you could all carry the full ministry of the Haydenville Congregational Church forward no matter what! So keep on keeping on and every day say in Caleb’s words: “Yes we can, Yes we can,” no matter what the challenges up ahead, we will find a way to enter into God’s New Day together.

Peter Ives is Theologian-in-Residence for Haydenville Congregation Church.